The past, present, and future of (net) neutrality: A state of knowledge review and research agenda

Abstract

For almost two decades, the debate on net neutrality influences the governance of the Internet infrastructure operated by Internet service providers (ISPs) and has spurred an enormous body of academic literature. However, new business models such as zero-rating, rapid technological progress, changing consumer behavior and political transformations constantly challenge our understanding of net neutrality. Despite the breadth and depth of knowledge on this topic, a conceptualization and synthesis of almost two decades of interdisciplinary literature is missing. This paper provides a comprehensive state of knowledge review based on a framework of net neutrality that captures the chronology of the debate as well as individual, organizational, and societal level concepts, which allows us to disentangle the nature, effects, and implications of different business practices of ISPs in order to extract new insights. Finally, we develop a research agenda on net neutrality in telecommunications and on neutrality in the wider Internet ecosystem addressing the challenges with respect to digital platforms and data gatekeepers.